Family Matters had too be one of my favorite shows from ABC's TGIF line-up. Steve Urkel sure did make the show. I remember being so amazed when Urkel built that machine and turned himself into Stefan Urquelle, it was unbelievable that he could act like a normal person! And when Laura fell for him, it was like a victory for all of us who have ever been rejected by our dream girls.
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Family Matters had too be one of my favorite shows from ABC's TGIF line-up. Steve Urkel sure did make the show. I remember being so amazed when Urkel built that machine and turned himself into Stefan Urquelle, it was unbelievable that he could act like a normal person! And when Laura fell for him, it was like a victory for all of us who have ever been rejected by our dream girls.
I always liked Steve's cousin Myrtle and her southern personality.
The actress who played Harriette Winslow is from my hometown of Albany, GA.
There is a battle between two wolves inside us all.
One is evil and the other one is good. Which wolf will win? The one you feed the most.
Comedy is always a very personal thing. I like my laughs with No Strings. When I encounter a show that incorporates social issues I stay away. Too much involving Bill Cosby comes with strings attached, like plots trying to be socially relevant.
All I want a comedy to do is make me laugh.
And in the 80's, NBC was King of the Hill. In the same timeline as "A Different World" was another show I liked, "Amen", starring Sherman Hemsley showing everyone that he had a life after "The Jeffersons".
"Amen" was all about laughs, no social commentary needed. Here was a show that let an all black cast tackle one silly situation after another. Along with Sherman Hemsley was co-star Clifton Davis, a very remarkable talent if there ever was one.
I go all the way back to 1970 when Clifton Davis had his own Variety Show on CBS with Melba Moore. They made quite a handsome couple on television. Clifton and Melba were great singers and dancers, alone and together. Clifton's fame grew as the writer of the Jackson 5's hit song, "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971.
To see Sherman Hemsley and Clifton Davis in a show together put me in comedy heaven as they were paired with a wonderful cast of regulars that made "Amen" so much fun in its first two seasons.
By 1990 the show was running low on ideas and ratings started to sag. When this happens a series sometimes reaches out for help by calling on stars from other shows for emergency ratings assistance, or walk-on rolls for special guest stars.
In its final season, "Amen" spared no expense finding room for some of the funniest people in show business. You guys already know LaWanda Page and Whitman Mayo from "Sanford and Sons". How about we add Chubby Checker and Casey Kasem for good measure.
Here is a clip where Sherman Hemsley, as Deacon Frye, is under pressure from his daughter Thelma to reunite the famous doo-wop singing group, "The Sublimes" for the church talent show. Too many people for me to list on this one:
The Eldorado is dead. Long live the Eldorado.
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I Liked "A Different World", and yes I too wanted a pair of Dwayne's double glasses. Sindbad was also one of may favorite people in the whole world.
I never saw much of "Amen", but not too long ago I watched an episode where the church was being sued because someone got sick off some mayonnaise they had bought from them, and to prove the mayonnaise was good, Deacon Ernest eats a big spoon of it in court. I won't give anything away, but he had me rolling!
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There was a running joke on "Amen": Deacon Fyre was a lawyer, but he never actually won a case. His courtroom scenes always resulted in his losing.
That is until the Season 2 episode called, "Wedding Bell Blues". Sherman Hemsley's character finally wins in court . . . in one of the funniest scenes of the entire series!
It's still on YouTube if you want to see it.
The Eldorado is dead. Long live the Eldorado.
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Honestly, I didn't think I would like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that much when I first saw it, but I can see why it's one of the most popular shows on TV.
There is a battle between two wolves inside us all.
One is evil and the other one is good. Which wolf will win? The one you feed the most.
I've noticed the way In Living Color ages so well, still funny in a "take no prisoners" sorta way. Still amazing that the show actually made it on the air while political correctness began to take hold on television.
Here's something that I find funny but it didn't make much of an impact when first released. The cast of "Car Wash" was a mix of several personalities that I found to be fascinating.
This is the clip where Richard Pryor makes his entrance as "Daddy Rich" with the Pointer Sisters in force:
The Eldorado is dead. Long live the Eldorado.
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There is a battle between two wolves inside us all.
